FORT WORTH – Wichita Falls police officer Tim Putney underwent a grilling at a hearing Thursday in Fort Worth on inconsistencies in police reports written by other officers, an old back injury and whether he understands that city contractors hold sway over the spinal surgery he and his wife, Chelsea, believe will help restore his health.

The question of who can deny or approve the surgery elicited testimony from Tim about a cell phone call between the mayor and Chelsea.

The 33-year-old ran marathons before getting hurt but relied on a cane to walk into the workers compensation hearing before an administrative judge -- a few days past the one-year anniversary of his on-the-job injury on July 11, 2017.

The purpose of the hearing was to determine if his injuries stemmed from July 11 or pre-existing conditions and degeneration to his spine that had already occurred, Chelsea said ahead of the hearing.

And the hoped-for surgery was at stake.

His wife said before the July 11 injury, Tim was just fine, and then afterward, he couldn’t work.

During the hearing, Tim bore up under pointed questioning from Kevin Poteete, an attorney representing the self-insured city’s interests before Judge Kara Squire.

“Are you aware the city of Wichita Falls has absolutely nothing to do with the approval or denial of these surgeries?” Poteete said to Tim.

He hesitated before answering yes.

His attorney, Kim Wyatt of Fort Worth, asked why he hesitated.

“A comment was made ... that if we were to lose our attorney, I would get my surgery on a super fast pace,” Tim said.

Or, the commenter said, he could keep his attorney, and his case would continue to move at a snail’s pace, he said.

Tim said the comments came from Mayor Stephen Santellana of Wichita Falls during a cell phone call that his wife put on speaker phone so he could listen.

Later, Poteete said he could not speak to what the mayor might have said.

After the hearing, Chelsea said she had a recording of the phone call.

Santellana could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday afternoon. His Facebook page indicates he is traveling overseas.

During the hearing, Tim said the mayor’s statements felt like a threat to him and indicated to him that the city does have a say in what happens in his case.

In Wyatt’s opening statement and while she questioned Tim, an account accumulated of his injury last year.

He was attempting to detain a 13-year-old juvenile under the influence of methamphetamine who was about 6 feet tall and weighed about 220 pounds to Tim’s 240 pounds.

The juvenile kicked him repeatedly in the knee while Tim was trying to cuff him, and Tim fell back on the curb with the juvenile on top of him, hurting his back.

He had to pause during this testimony, overcome at times with tears. His wife Chelsea also became tearful.

He said he is in this situation “because the city of Wichita Falls will not take care of their officers, will not approve the surgery,” Tim said.

During Poteete’s turn to question Tim, he pointed out that there were inconsistencies in other officers’ reports on the July 11, 2017, incident with Tim’s account at the hearing and in a report a sergeant created of the incident and then had Tim sign while he was in the hospital.

Among the inconsistencies, an officer’s report put the 13-year-old as being 4 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 80 pounds.

After the hearing, Wichita Falls police Sgt. John Spragins said officers are encouraged to update such information in the system, but if a person is repeatedly dealt with – as the boy in this case – the system will populate existing information into the form.

As for police reports’ inconsistencies in the events of the evening Tim was injured, Spragins of the Wichita Falls Police Officers Association said that different officers are likely to have different accounts.

In addition, they were not present when Tim was injured, he said.

Attended by a contingent of about eight people – Tim’s family, friends, fellow police officers and Wichita Falls City Councilor Bobby Whitely, a retired firefighter and union official, the hearing lasted about an hour and a half.

Poteete also noted mentions of an old back injury of Tim’s.

Wyatt, in turn, noted the old injury hadn’t kept Tim from doing his job as the new ones do.

After the hearing, Chelsea said he sustained an injury because his bicycle seat needed to be adjusted and visits to the chiropractor took care of it.

Poteete sought to drive home that Tim had to prove the need for the surgery and the extent of his injuries – not the city.

“I don’t really need any evidence at all as the burden of proof is on the claimant,” Poteete said.

“There has been a lot said about my client, the city of Wichita Falls, and I want you to understand how we got here,” he said. “My client didn’t make the law. We follow the law.”

After closing statements, the judge said she would mail her decision to those involved, and any appeal must be done in writing in Austin within 15 days of receiving her decision.

Chelsea said if the judge doesn’t decide in Tim’s favor, then they will appeal the decision.